Seven
by UchihaAddict
Summary: ATTENTION: This story is temporarily postponed!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of that. If I did I wouldn't be writing this story, now would I?**_

* * *

_Seven years, that's how long he'd been gone. Seven long, miserable years. Seven years of waiting. Seven years of crying. Seven years of searching. She never gave up on the hope that he'd return to Konoha – to her, one day. _

Sakura walked down the streets of Konoha reminiscing on her chuunin years. Reminiscing on Naruto, Kakashi...and Sasuke. She remembered the first day she laid eyes on the Uchiha prodigy. God, she was pathetic.

She was all grown up now, though. No longer was she the weak fangirl she used to be. She was strong, both physically and mentally. Training under Tsunade does that to a person. Now she didn't depend on her teammates to save her during a mission – she could hold her own. No more being left behind or fussed over if she got a wound.

She passed by the Ichiraku Ramen place.

"Sakura-chan!" She gazed over to a blonde haired boy in a black and orange jumpsuit devouring a bowl of ramen as if he hadn't eaten in a week.

_Naruto._ He hadn't changed much. He matured, very little. He grew taller and his clothing style had changed, except for the orange. She wasn't sure what his attraction to the vibrant color was. One thing she was sure of was how strong he had become. Maybe he would become the next Hokage...she had faith in her old friend.

Naruto choked on a ramen noodle he had just sucked down his throat and began flailing his arms and legs around. She sighed. _'Some things would never change.' _

"Hey there Naruto." He stopped choking and caught his breath.

"Ne...Sakura-chan, good to see you." He gave a toothy grin.

She smiled lightly at him. "You too, Naruto. I'll see you later alright?"

Naruto frowned and poked his bottom lip forward, whining, "But...Sakura-chan..."

"I have to be at the hospital in fifteen minutes." She was a medic-nin now. A pretty damn good one at that.

He nodded. "Hai. I forget. Later then, Sakura!" She waved and walked away from the ramen obsessed ninja.

She sighed and looked up. The sky was a dark navy blue filled with tiny little specks of light. The stars were always pretty in Konoha and they calmed her slightly. She loved nights like this. Not too cold, but warm enough that she didn't need a jacket.

As she walked into the hospital a nurse ran up and handed her a patient chart.

"Seems like he was poisoned. We drained as much as we could but something is still wrong."

Sakura gave a quick pop to the bottom of the glove she had just put on. _"Let's do this."_

* * *

He was about to go completely insane if he didn't get away from these people. He could handle Juugo and Suigetsu, but Karin was pushing his patience. He saw the way she looked at him. Lust. It was sickening. And the way she talked to him. Pathetic. He had just about enough of team Hebi.

Sasuke sat up and waved his team off, signaling he was leaving and they were not to follow. He caught the pouting expression on Karin's face. He could care less.

He walked for hours it seemed like. Listening to the sounds around him. The crickets, night birds, a flowing stream, and the occasional howling of an owl. He felt the crisp breeze of the midnight air on his face. Why did the wind bother? He was cold enough as it is...

He stopped abruptly and his sharingan activated. He titled his head down and to the left side so that he could glance slightly over his shoulder. He heard them. He was being followed and he knew it. He noticed them about a half an hour ago when he'd entered familiar territory.

He waited for them to come to him first and they did. Seven anbu rushed at him from all sides but he stood his ground. The immediately threw kunai with paper bombs attached to the ends at him. He didn't budge. The anbu jumped back and waited for the smoke to clear as they went off. When the smoke was gone the had their swords ready and waiting – but he was gone. Sasuke appeared behind them and knocked two out with the hilt of his sword. The other swiftly turned around and launched their blades at him. He jumped back and skid around one to slice across his abdomen. He glared at the others with his sharingan. But then he dropped his sword and slacked off his stance. The anbu stiffened, waiting for him to attack. Sasuke closed his eyes and stood there. When he didn't move, they quickly knocked him out and tied him up. Then began toting him to Konoha.

* * *

Two dislocated joints, three cases of poisoning, one broken collarbone, about five cuts, bruises, and scrapes, and two or more people treated for head injuries. Lee had come in several times throughout the day – just to see her.

She was actually glad. She usually had way more work than this, but since there hadn't been any recent missions no one was really injured unless they were training.

She glanced up at the clock on the wall. It read 12 A.M. Her shift was over, finally. She cleaned up her work area and took off her nurse coat before placing it on a coat rack. She checked herself out and waved good-bye to the two ladies at the front desk as she walked out.

The chilly midnight air hit her as soon as the hospital doors opened and she stepped out. She brought her hands up to her arms and rubbed them a couple times as she looked towards the gate to see what all the commotion was about.

Naruto came waltzing up and stood beside her. "What's going on?"

"I dunno but I see anbu..." Sai walked up and stood beside Sakura. She nodded, "Yes, I see them too. Wonder what's up?" Naruto snorted. "Who knows, probably some weirdo-spy trying to steal some weapons or something."

Sai and Sakura shrugged. Lady Tsunade was standing at the entrance about seven feet from the gate with her assistant. She had a serious look on her face. They appeared to be dragging someone in. _'Maybe it is a spy.'_ Sakura thought. The anbu dumped the body several inches from Tsunade's feet and crouched down, bowing.

"We found him wandering through the forest. He resisted arrest at first but he calmed down before we knocked him out." The head anbu stated, looking back at the boy. Tsunade nodded and dismissed them. The jumped behind the boy. Tsunade stepped forward. Right when her foot touched the ground the boy's eyes flashed opened, revealing red.

Naruto sucked in a breath through his teeth and his eyes widened. Sai's eyes held an interested glint in them but he showed no emotion. Sakura gasped and her facial expression turned into that of confusion and hurt.

"Sasuke..." She whispered.

* * *

_I am so excited. The first chapter to my first story -smiles as a tear runs down cheek- R&R! Flames are welcome but please use constructive criticism. Second chapter will be up sometime next week._

_Take care!_

_- UchihaAddict_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: -mumbles- I do not own Naruto or anything affliated with it...**

* * *

Sasuke scanned the crowd with his sharingan activated before he looked up. Tsunade was glaring down at him. "Get up."

Sasuke thought about it for a minute and he slowly began to rise. _'So this is it, huh?'_

"Deactivate it, now,"she told him.

His eyes narrowed into two dangerous slits.

"Uchiha Sasuke, are you deaf boy? I said deactivate your sharingan this instant!"

Sasuke closed his eyes and opened again to reveal black.

Tsunade nodded toward the anbu and they gathered around Sasuke. She turned around and began walking to her office. Shizune scurried to keep up as the anbu led Sasuke away. Before he was out of sight, his head slightly dipped down and his gaze locked with Sakura's.

He smirked.

Sakura's eyes widened before she quickly looked away. When she glanced back he was gone and the crowd had already begun to disperse.

Naruto let out a loud, exaggerated sigh and tossed his hands behind his head.

"Looks like we gotta put up with the teme again, huh?" He laughed.

Sai spoke up, "Seems so...what I don't understand is that he didn't leave. He could have escaped the anbu easily and taken advantage of the time he was on the ground unprotected."

Naruto blinked then nodded. His facial expression turned series. "Yeah, some thing's not right. Sasuke would never have come back on his own, nonetheless allow himself to be captured...I know that firsthand." He looked down with sorrow etched into his face and whispered, "I just hope he's here to stay."

Sakura was staring in the direction Sasuke had disappeared in.

"Well, Tsunade-ba-chan better give it to him good! Eh, Sakura-chan?"

The both looked beside them then.

"Where'd she go?!" Naruto whined. Sai sighed and began to walk off.

"H-hey! Why are you leaving too?" Naruto screamed and rushed after him.

"I'll bet she's with Lady Tsunade."

Naruto tilted his head, "Oh, well that makes sense."

Sai shook his head and fell into a running pace. Naruto followed suit.

* * *

Sasuke was forced in front of Tsunade's desk Shizune stepped beside Tsunade as she entwined her fingers and placed them beside her mouth.

Sasuke stared at her with empty onyx irises. His emotions as cold as ever.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are being charged by the following crimes: Deserting your village – missing nin, attempted murder, murder of various ninja from neighboring villages, taking a role in the planned destruction of Konoha..."

Sasuke sat in silence. He stared at a spot on the wall while the charges were read to him. He didn't really care, to be honest. Yeah, he had done all that, so what? It didn't matter to him; nothing mattered to him. All he wanted to do was kill his damned brother, Itachi. He cursed himself for not accomplishing that goal before now. He was so close! Every time he'd get a lead the Akatsuki would be long gone. He just couldn't keep up...

"Resisting arrest, assault on and AnbuBackOps, evading arrest, leaguing yourself with a criminal an enemy of the Hidden Lead Village."

The list went on for several minutes. When Tsunade was done she looked straight at Sasuke. "I assume you know your rights?"

He said nothing. He looked at her with emotionless eyes. She'd been waiting seven years for this moment – to catch this Uchiha – and now he sat there, uneffected by the lives he had corrupted. Oh how that pissed her off.

"This deserves a death sentence, Uchiha, do you not value your life?!" She abuptly rose and slammed her hands on the desk. Shizune jumped and backed away slightly.

"Hn." He looked away.

"What?"

"No."

"Why is that, Sasuke?" She glared.

"I have no life to value. I have nothing, no one. Why should any of it matter to me? My only purpose in life is to avenge my clan, and I have failed. Sentence me to death if you wish, I do not care."

Tsunade sighed and sat back down. She began rubbing her temples and pinching the bridge of her nose.

* * *

Sakura gasped when she heard Tsunade begin to yell. She knew she had a bad temper, but when in Hokage mode she was expected to keep her cool. What really made her astonished was Sasuke's ruthlessly cold reply. _You have me...you've always had me Sasuke, I wish you could see that...'_

Naruto and Sai came up behind Sakura and Naruto leaned into the door to listen.

"Gah, she's mad I bet!"

Sai leaned against the doorframe and looked at Sakura. She looked up and nodded, signaling she was okay.

* * *

"In that case, Uchiha, I will not sentence you to death."

Sasuke glanced up.

"However, you will be put on probation for several years. No missions. You are to be with an escort of high ranking at all times and you must have a check up monthly with me or at the clinic. You are not allowed out of Konoha under any circumstance. Your curfew will be at 8, no later. If you are spotted doing anything that disobeys these rules you will be immediately brought to me and further actions will be taken."

Sasuke had a sour look on his face, but only for a moment, before his features became cold once again.

"I see." He began to stand.

"Oh, and Sasuke, if you ever pull that again you will be killed on the spot. This is your last chance to get it right. I suggest you make the best of it."

* * *

Sai and Sakura rushed to get out of the way before Sasuke got to the door. Naruto, on the otherhand, stayed where he was. When Sasuke opened the door he met the face of his old teammate and friend.

His eyes widened then turned into slits. _'Naruto...'_

Naruto's eyes stayed on Sasuke's face, disappointed. He clenched his fists then quickly folded them over his chest. "Welcome back, teme."

Sasuke looked ahead and smirked. "Hn, dobe."

Naruto turned on his heel and headed for the exit. Sai followed behind him and glanced a look back at Sakura, who stayed put.

Sasuke sighed quietly then began walking off, hands shoved in his pockets.

He closed his eyes as he neared a corner. So she was there too, huh? He couldn't expect anything less from Sakura.

She watched with worry as Sasuke made his way out of the Hokage's tower. Was Tsunade strict enough? Did she really think he'd follow her rules and stay here when he hadn't even killed Itachi yet? She was just waiting for the moment when the whole village was on alert for the same reason as it had been seven years ago. She winced at the thought.

When she snapped back into reality she noticed he was gone. Damnit! She'd missed him thanks to her stupid remanicing.

* * *

Sasuke walked straight for the Uchiha compound, oblivious to the world around him. Here he was, back where he had started. No closer to accomplishing his goals than he'd ever been. Was it foolish to think he had what it took to be an avenger? He'd used to think not, but now the future didn't look so bright for him. He was basically under housearrest and going to be treated like a little child. Someone was going to looming over him day and night to make sure he wasn't misbehaving or plotting to escape again. Kami, life sucked.

He entered the compound and looked around briefly. "So someone fixed it up, huh?" He examined the place a little more thoroughly before heading into one he reconized as his old home.

He glanced around. Everything looked almost the same. The paint was new, he could still faintly smell it. The tile and wooding looked shiny. The furniture was dust-free, probably indicating it hadn't been there for very long.

He headed toward a back room – his room.

Sasuke opened the door. It looked the same as well. Much like the livingroom, the paint, floor, and furniture was quite new. Even the Uchiha emblem had been painted on one of the walls in each room.

He closed the door and walked out. He couldn't do this right now. He needed to get some things off his mind. A good night's sleep wouldn't hurt him either since he was expected early in the morning by Tsunade. He dreaded finding out who'd be controlling his life for the next five or more years...

He went back to his old apartment, the one he had stayed in before he left. He was surprised it was still vacant. It looked like someone had kept tidy. The fridge and pantry were both stocked with enough food to last him about a year. The labels varified the food was far from expiring.

He went over to his bed, shrugged off the top layer of his clothing and untied the rope around his waist. He kicked his shoes off and the landed in an unknown spot of the room before he layed his head down.

He let his mind wander a little before slowly falling alseep.

* * *

_Sorry it's late!! I was kind of caught up last week, heh. I had to go to the doctor cause I have a kidney infection. Plus my finals are in a couple weeks so I had to start studying for those. Then there was Easter. But the second chapter is here! Sorry for the prolonged wait, and sorry again if it's boring. I'm trying to get the important stuff out of the way before anything good really happens, so bare with me. Next chapter will be up within a week._

_Take care! Happy late Easter -smiles-_


	3. Author's Note Please Read!

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in about a year now...if you've visited my profile any, you know why. You see, my computer crashed and it wouldn't start back up. I think I know why it happened though. Anyway, I didn't get a new one until recently and even then I still didn't have Internet. My mom finally agreed to let me get it but I have to pay for it =[

I'll keep this story going the best I can. I have kind of lost interest in it and I might just rewrite the whole thing unless you all like it the way it is so far. Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things once I start writing again.

I wish more of you would review though =] give me some incentive here. Thank you to those of you have been reviewing! Much appreciated.

Don't expect anything too soon though, sorry. I have a lot going on in school right now and I have to start looking for a job to pay for my beloved Internet. I'm pretty tied up at the moment but I promise not to give up!

- UchihaAddict


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